The invention relates to a method for assembling mail items, wherein from at least two different types of envelopes, one type of envelope is selected for packaging at least one flat object in an inserting station of a mail assembling apparatus, at least one other station of the mail assembling apparatus is set according to the selected type of envelope, and at least one flat object is packaged in an envelope of the selected type, and to an apparatus for applying said method.
Such method and such apparatus are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,603. According to this document, the filling station comprises one or more envelope stock holders, feed means for feeding an envelope from one of those envelope stock holders, activating means for activating, per mail item to be assembled, a given envelope stock holder for feeding an envelope. These activating means are connected to the data processing means wherein an envelope selection program is stored. This program contains at least one input parameter for storing a parameter value representing the envelope height of an envelope present in one of the stock holders, at least one input parameter for storing a parameter value representing a property of a set of documents to the packaged, at least one input parameter for storing a reference value with which the last-mentioned parameter value can be compared, an output parameter for activating one of the envelope stock holders and an algorithm for designating a value to the output parameter for activating one of the envelope holders depending on the outcome of said comparison.
A parameter value on the basis of which a specific type of envelope is selected can, for instance, be the number of documents from which a set is or has been assembled. According as more documents are sent, a larger envelope can be selected, for instance to avoid folding a thick pack of documents. Another property on the basis of which a given type of envelope is selected, can for instance be the optional feed of a document from a given document delivery station. Documents from a given document delivery station can, for instance, be wholly or partially unfoldable, or bear the address on a position which is only compatible with a specific type of window envelope. Selecting an envelope on the basis of the optional feed of a document from a given document delivery station can, for instance, be effected in that a parameter value is associated with a document delivery station, which parameter value represents a height of an unfoldable part of a document to be fed through that feed station. If a document is fed from said document delivery station, this parameter value is used, during the selection of an envelope, as parameter value requiring a given minimum envelope height. When the folding height of folding heights are being determined, the length and place of an unfoldable part of a document are used for determining the folding height zones which cannot be used.
A further parameter on the basis of which an envelope is selected, can for instance be obtained by determining the weight of the relevant set of documents. In certain cases, it will be desirable to package a heavier set of documents in a large and/or firmer envelope, than a lighter set of documents. In practice, a larger envelope will virtually always have a height different from a smaller envelope, so that the number of folds to be made, and the folding heights thereof, should be determined starting from another, large envelope height.
For packaging documents in window envelopes, it is important that the address, after the address-bearing document has been inserted into the envelope, be properly visible behind the window. In so far as the position of the address in width direction is compatible with the position in width direction of the window of the envelope to be used, the orientation of the address-bearing document, the number of folds in that document and, if folding takes place, the folding height of at least one fold must be such that also in height direction, the address is moved to a position corresponding to the position of the window and faces the window.
When this method and apparatus are used, it is important that the correct data relating to the documents and envelopes to be processed be inputted for the relevant series of mail items. This is rather laborious and complicated and increases the chance of errors during the input of data.
It is an object of the invention to simplify the assembly of mail items with automative selection between two different types of envelopes which may have different sizes, and to reduce the chance of the occurrence of errors.
According to the present invention, this object is realized by providing a method for assembling mail items comprising:
designating, prior to the assembly of a series of mail items in an apparatus for assembling mail items, a precomposed set of basic finishing instructions applying to said series, said set of basic finishing instructions comprising: a first set of instructions comprising an instruction for an inserting station for selecting a first one of at least two types of envelopes and an instruction for an associated, first setting of another station of the apparatus, a second set of instructions comprising an instruction for an inserting station for selecting a second one of the at least two types of envelopes and an instruction for an associated, second setting of the at least one other station, and a selection criterion other than the settings of the at least one other station for selecting, per individual mail item, one of the sets of instructions;
selecting, per individual mail time of the series, one of the sets of instructions according to the selection criterion;
setting, according to the selected set of instructions; at least the other station of the apparatus; and packaging, per individual mail item, at least one flat object in an envelope of a type according to the set of instructions selected for said mail item.
To realize this object, the invention also provides a system for assembling mail items, including:
a delivery station for feeding flat objects individually; an inserting station downstream of the delivery station having at least two envelope feed provisions for feeding envelopes of at least two types in any desired order;
at least one other processing station in line with the inserting station; and a control system for setting the at least one other processing station according to the selected type of envelope;
wherein in the control system, at least one precomposed set of basic finishing instructions is stored which, prior to the assembly of a series mail items, can be designated as applying to that series, said set of basic finishing instructions comprising:
a first set of instructions comprising an instruction for selecting a first one of the at least two types of envelopes and an instruction for an associated, first setting of the at least one other station;
a second set of instructions comprising an instruction for selecting a second one of the at least two types of envelopes and an instruction for an associated, second setting of the at least one other processing station, and
a selection criterion, other than the settings of the at least one other processing station, for selecting, per individual mail item, one of the sets of instructions.
Because settings of the other station associated with the insertion in a specific envelope type, together with the choice of that type of envelope, form part of a precomposed set of instructions, within the framework of a preset set of basic finishing instructions, another one of the available envelope types can readily be selected per mail item to be assembled individually. For this, the associated setting of the other station is then also selected automatically and the processing of an object or objects for that mail item is carried out by that other station operating according to that setting without this depending on the inputted data concerning starting materials or the like. Indeed, it is not necessary to couple instructions concerning the choice of a type of envelope to instructions for assembling a mail item. For that reason, the automatic envelope selection can be used with particular advantage in combination with specifications for assembling mail items without the need to couple, in those specifications themselves, instructions relating to the selection of an envelope to instructions for preparing an individual document.
Particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention are laid down in the dependent claims.
Hereinafter, further objects, practical aspects, effects and details according to the invention are further described on the basis of a practical example and with reference to the drawing.